Electric clock.



PATBNTBD SEPT. 29, 1903.

W. E. PALMER. ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1902.

NO MODEL.

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Tatented September 29, 1963.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM EDGAR PALMER, OF TONBRIDGE, ENGLAND.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,038, dated September 29, 1903.

' Application filed November 24, 1902. erial No. 132,708. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM EDGAR PAL- MER, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Tonbridge, in the county of Kent, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Electric Clocks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention. consists principally in improvements in electric clocks.

This invention consists in the novel con struction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

I will describe myinvention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my invention, comprising the electric regulator or controller, showing the gravity impulse-arm hereinafter described in its position of rest, the contact for setting up the circuit through the electromagnets being broken. Fig. 2 is a part view of Fig. 1, showing the gravity impulse-arm freed from its position of rest and in a position in which contact is made to complete the electric circuit.

The same characters indicate the same or equivalent parts in both figures of thedrawings.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 is a pendulumrod. 2 is a pawl pivoted onto the pendulum for engaging the teeth of the wheel 3. ratchet-wheel propelled by the pawl 2 one tooth at each swing of the pendulum.

4 is a back-stop click for the wheel 3.

5 is a lifting-pin fixed in the rim of the wheel 3. Y

6 is an arm pivoted at its center and provided with a catch 6 for supporting what I call a gravity impulse-arm 7.

8 is a straight spring fixed on the plate 9 (or on the supporting-framework on which the various parts are mounted) for throwing back the arm 6 to the position for holding up arm 7, as shown in Fig. l.

10 is a catch-pin secured in the gravity impulse-arm. V

7 is the gravity impulse-arm pivoted at 8 and having secured to it the impulse-pin 11,

3isa' the releasing-screw 12, contact-plate 16, and the catch-pin 1O.

11 is the impulse-pin with a friction-roller which engages with the pendulum and conveys the impulse.

12 is a releasing screw or pin traveling with the impulse-arm 7 and coming into contact with a spring or gravity catch 13, which it pushes out and releases the spring 14.

15 is an adjusting stop or screw to limitthe fall of the gravity impulse-arm 7.

16 is a contact-plate fixed by a screw and steady-pin from the back to the gravity impulse-arm 7 andfaced with platinum, making one end of an electric circuit. It is placed at such an angle that when the gravity-arm 7is thrown up so that its projection 10 gets above the catch 6 the endlG of said contact-plate pushes the spring 14 away, thereby separating the contact-pin 17 from the contactplate 16 and breaking the circuit. The spring 14 carries the contact-pin 17, which is tipped with platinum, making the other end of the circuit. Pin 17 travels with the spring 14, and when it comes in contact with plate 16 the circuit is closed. The catch 13 for holding the spring 14 in position shown in Fig. 1 (contact between 16 and 17 being broken) is pivoted at 13 and it is pushed outward by the releasing-screw 12, and the contact-spring 14 escapes when the gravity-arm 7 has almost reached the stop-screw 15.

.18 is an electromagnet.

19 is an armature pivoted at 20, which when attracted by magnets 18 lifts the gravity impu1se-arm into engagement with its catch 6.

21 is a projection on arm 7 on which armature 19 acts, as hereinafter'described.

22 is a banking pin or stop for the pawl 2.

The several parts above described are mounted on the plate or framework 9 in any convenient manner, so as to operate as described.

a is the electric battery, (or other source of electricity,) one end of which is connected by wire I) to the insulated contact-pin 17. c is a wire connecting the plate 9 (which is usually of brass or other conducting material) with electromaguets 18. d is the line-wire connecting the magnets 18 with the secondary clock or clocks or other registering mechanism which it is desired or possible to control or actuate through the regulator, Fig. 1. This wire at is connected to the other end of battery a, as shown.

The working of my invention is as follows: The pendulum 1 is started swinging, and (referring to Figs. 1 and 2) at each movement to the right the pawl 2 engages a tooth of wheel 3 and moves said wheelaround one tooth, and as said wheel moves around its pin or projection 5 once in each revolution strikes against arm 6, moving it, and so frees catch 6 from projection 10 on the gravity impulse-arm 7, allowing it to fall. In the movement of arm 7 its roller or pin 11 strikes the pendulum 1, thus giving it impulse, and when said arm 7 has moved to the position in which screw 12 strikes catch 13, so as to disengage it from contact-spring 14, (which takes place when arm 7 has nearly reached stop-screw 15,) said spring is released and moves contact-pin 17 into contact with plate 16, (see Fig. 2,) thus sending an electric cur rent through magnets 18 by way of wire 1), contact-pin 17, contact-plate 16, impulse-arm 7 and its supportingbracket, plate 9, and through wire a to said magnets. The magnets now attract the armature 19, which acting on projection 21 lifts the gravity-arm 7, so that its,projection 10 again engages catch 6 ready for the next operation of arm 6 by pin 5, when the various parts will again operate as above described. The spring 14 presses contact-pin 17 onto contact-plate 16 until it is pushed away or depressed by the outside end 16 of said plate, thus breaking the circuit, and the end of spring 14 being pressed down on the sloping head of catch 13 reengages therewith when the armature 19 has thrown the gravity impulse-arm 7 far enoughup. Thespringltisthusheldagainst further upward movement until catch 13 is again actuated by screw 12, as hereinbefore described.

The arrangement of the spring 14, (see Fig. 1,) carrying the contact-pin 17, and of the sloping contact-plate 16 is such that when in action the contacting surfaces slide on one another, and are thus kept clean.

The action of closing the circuit through the magnets 18, as above described, also sends a current through wire at to the secondary clock or clocks.

My invention as illustrated in the drawings is intended to give an indication every halfminute; but it is obvious that by providing a smaller wheel than wheel 3, Figs. 1 and 2, or by providing two or more projections or pins 5 the indication may be more frequent, or they may be made less frequent byproviding a larger wheel than 3 with only one pin.

What I' claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric-circuit controller, the combination of a pendulum, a pawl on said pendulum, a tooth-wheel operated by said pawl, a projection on said wheel an automatic catch adapted to be actuated by said projection a gravity impulse-arm adapted to be held in a position of rest by said catch, a sloping contact on said impulse-arm, an insulated springcontact adapted to make contact with the sloping contact, an automatic catch adaptedto retain said spring in a position in which contact is broken adjustable means on the impulse-arm for releasing said spring, an adjustable stop for adjusting the gravity movement of the impulse-arm, and an electromagnet-armature adapted to move the gravity impulse-arm to its position of rest.

2. In an'electrie-circuit controller the combination of a pivoted arm, a sloping contactplate on said arm a spring-contact adapted to make contact with said sloping contact an automatic catch for retaining said spring in a position in which contact is broken, and adjustable means on the pivoted arm for releasing the contact-spring from the automatic catch, all arranged so that when said pivoted arm moves in one direction a sliding contact is made between the spring-contact and sloping contact so completing the circuit and when said pivoted arm moves in the otherdirection a sloping contact depresses or moves the spring-contact and so breaks the circuit, substantially as set forth.

3. In an electric-circuit controller, the combination, with a pendulum, of a pivoted arm which strikes the pendulum periodically, a catch normally holding the said arm in a raised position, tappet mechanism operated by the pendulum and releasing the said catch periodically, and an electric-circuit closer operated by the said arm when released from the said catch.

4. In an electric-circuit controller, the combination, with a pivoted arm, and means for oscillating it periodically; of a contact-plate on the said arm, a spring-supported contactpiece for bearing against the said plate and making an electric circuit when the said arm is moved in one direction, a catch for normally holding the said spring-supported contact-piece out of action, a trip carried by the said arm for releasing the said catch when the said arm is operated to make the circuit, and a trip on the said arm which moves the said spring -supported contact-piece out of contact with the said contact-plate and into engagementwith the said catch when the said arm is operated to break the circuit.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM EDGAR PALMER.

Witnesses:

W. H. SINsoN, J. (3110014. 

